MADRAS, OR -- Sahalee Park in Madras was updated in 2009, with a pavilion, memorial, and realigned parking. But the initial $250,000 grant was not enough for a planned spray park. The project now appears to have the funding needed to move forward.

The city applied for a federal grant and that's when Public Works Director Jeff Hurd says the Oregon Parks and Recreation suggested a change, "We want to conserve water. Have you thought about putting in a collection system to collect the water and irrigate the park with?" He says they asked. "And I said, 'Yeah, I did, but we were going bare-bones, so I didn't put that in there. We thought we could do that down the road.' And they said, 'Oh. If we were able to give you some additional funding, would you be able to put in the cistern and the ADA stuff?' and that's when I went, 'Uh...yes...'." He tells KBND News, "Kids will come and use the spray park," and a 20,000 gallon tank underneath the splash pad will collect the runoff. "And at night, the guys will irrigate the parks with that water that's collected in the tank. So basically, we're getting another cycle out of the water before it goes away. So, it's going to be really awesome."

With Oregon Parks and Rec involved, the $250,000 National Park Service grant was doubled to $500,000. Hurd says the community still has to raise matching funds, "We're about $10 to $15 [thousand] short to hit the $500,000 mark, but we're so close. One way or another we'll find that; that shouldn't be an issue. So, pretty much, we're saying we're fully funded, ready to go, so if there's somebody out there that's willing to kick in a few bucks, that would be great."

Hurd hopes to get final approval of the federal grant in October. He's optimistic the new spray pad will open by next summer.